Dry Rotisserie Turkey.. a bit of a rant.. has anyone figured out how to get Thighs and breast done at the same time (without a ton of work)


 
T

Tom Raveret

TVWBB Pro
So I couldn't help myself when I saw the frozen Butterball "premium" turkeys on sale after Christmas for $1/lb. From my experience Butterball is usually better quality than Jennie O. I thawed the 11.5 lb bird in the bag, in my basement fridge, per Butterball instructions for 2 days longer than Butterball said it needed and still had ice by one of the thighs so I went tot a cold water bath to finish it and then trussed it put some Paul Prudomme Poultry magic rub on the skin and threw it on the rotisserie with some Pecan.

I usually buy the Butterball fresh birds from Costco for about the same price but they only have them at Thanksgiving. I will salt the bird two to three days out and lift the skin from the breast and thigh and salt underneath per cooks Illustrated method. Sometimes I'll go *** extreme to bring the bird out of the fridge and pack Ice in ziplock bags around the breast and in the cavity by the breast to chill the breast while letting the thighs come up a little closer to room temperature before trussing and putting it on the rotisserie or grill. This has helped but I have still had to pull it when the breast is done like 155 and let the carryover heat take it to 160 and often cut the thighs and legs off and stick them in an oven covered to get them to 180 recommended temperature.

This frozen and pre-brined bird said its best to serve when the breast is 170 (but looking at Butterballs website still says cook the until thighs are 180)

I really was disappointed in how dry this Turkey was when I cut into it. I haven't done a frozen bird in a few years so maybe this is just what I have to expect.

I thought I'd ask if anyone else had any ideas?

I did call the butterball "Turkey Talk Line" years ago I spoke to them and found them really helpful. Now its someone young reading a script based on what I say.. kind of sad.
 
It's not easy to get the dark meat and light meat done at the exact same time. For me & mine, we care more about the dark meat, and don't give too much thought to the breast meat, we just dip the breast meat in gravy or similar.

But it can be done, and it's not a whole lot of effort: Put ice bags on the breast meat an hour or more before putting the turkey in the pit, and when the breast meat hits 150, foil it the breast until the dark meat hits 160, pull the foil. Pull the bird from the pit when the dark meat hits 165. Your breast and your dark meat will both be 165 (give or take a degree or two) if you don't want to hassle with foiling the bird during the cook, just go ham with the ice packs and let that bad bird ride
 
DanHoo said:
What was the IT of the breast of this one when you pulled it?

170F breast will be dry, IMO
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Butterball was suggesting 170 and I was afraid that was for food safety as these birds are batch brined so I pulled at 165 or so and tented in foil letting carryover heat take it over 170.
 
but I have still had to pull it when the breast is done like 155 and let the carryover heat take it to 160 and often cut the thighs and legs off and stick them in an oven covered to get them to 180 recommended temperature.

This is the best method imo.

White meat and dark meat need to be cooked to a different temperature. So just separate them (at the beginning is what I do) and cook them separately. Regardless of what cooking method you are using.

There's no law that says you have to cook the turkey all in one piece.
 
I've done them on rotisserie without the having them dry out. However the birds I've done were organic "untreated" birds IOW no factory "brine" or whatever nightmare they do to birds at those factory producers. If using one of those I really do not recommend even more brining on top of the "stuff" they do at the factory. Just adding more and more salt with no taste benefit. Just my $.02.
There is a reason they can sell those "factory" birds as cheaply as they do.
 
LMichaels said:
I've done them on rotisserie without the having them dry out. However the birds I've done were organic "untreated" birds IOW no factory "brine" or whatever nightmare they do to birds at those factory producers. If using one of those I really do not recommend even more brining on top of the "stuff" they do at the factory. Just adding more and more salt with no taste benefit. Just my $.02.
There is a reason they can sell those "factory" birds as cheaply as they do.
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I totally agreeMy best Bird I ever cooked a few years ago at Whole foods was an organic free range from Larry Shultz farm in Minnesota. I wouldn't try and brine an already brined bird. I don't think I'll buy one if it is recommending the breast be cooked to 170. The fresh butterballs that i would get at Costco every year are still factory birds but not pre-brined and a dry brine has yielded me good results at $1/lb. I'm not sure I'm willing to spend 4-5$/lb anymore for turkey.
 
Yeah for me turkey isn't even worth $1 a lb. I only cook(ed) it due to requests. But I would never voluntarily go buy them. Since turkey is not on my "list" of likeable eats. I "tolerate" it. That's about the best I can say for it
 
I’m no expert.
I’ve done turkey and chickens on my newish rotisserie and a bunch on my old one years ago.

This is what I do.
When the dark meat is getting on its way to 170-180 degrees I start paying more attention to the breast.
I pull the bird off to rest at breast temp of just under 160f.
The dark meat normally ends up 175 (ish).
The white is white and juicy.
The dark is also properly colored (not bloody) and juicy.

My stepfather used to serve us red and unfinished dark meat to eat and swear it was done due to the temp reading.
Those meals really sucked.
I find that the white is to my liking soon as the dark is ready.
The white and dark might be 15-20 degrees different from each other.

This works for me.
YMMV.
 
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When i roast turkey, I keep a small pot of low sodium chicken stock simmering. If the breast is dry drizzle some hot stock over it and it can help to revive it.

The hot stock can also thin gravy that is too thick, moisten stuffing or dressing that is dry or put some life into mash potatoes that have gotten dry.
 
I did a turkey breast for thanksgiving simply because I had not don’t one in a long time. While the thing was cheap enough, it was just “unimpressive” I was thinking about there maybe leftovers of one “lobe” to chill and slice for sandwiches but, it was just dull and ended up simply pitching it! Cheap food is too expensive to just waste time on when you are ending up filling a landfill with it! I’m pretty much done with turkey. Next Thanksgiving? Crown Roast of Pork with cornbread dressing! Bye bye buzzard!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I did a turkey breast for thanksgiving simply because I had not don’t one in a long time. While the thing was cheap enough, it was just “unimpressive” I was thinking about there maybe leftovers of one “lobe” to chill and slice for sandwiches but, it was just dull and ended up simply pitching it! Cheap food is too expensive to just waste time on when you are ending up filling a landfill with it! I’m pretty much done with turkey. Next Thanksgiving? Crown Roast of Pork with cornbread dressing! Bye bye buzzard!
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Darn son, I'm coming to your house!
 
ChuckO said:
But it can be done, and it's not a whole lot of effort: Put ice bags on the breast meat an hour or more before putting the turkey in the pit...
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Yep, that's how I do it, but I smoke it in my drum. With the heat coming from underneath, the draft hits the dark meat while the breast on top is protected by the rest of the bird. By the time it's done, I get around a 15 degree difference. It comes out really nice.
 
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